Apostille for Swiss documents and translations

An apostille is a certificate defined by the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. It confirms the authenticity of the signature and seal on a public document so that it can be used in another member state without further legalisation.

In Switzerland, apostilles are issued by the cantonal authority responsible for the document — generally the State Chancellery of the canton — and by the Federal Chancellery for federal documents. We prepare your file, submit it to the right office and send the documents back to you.

Documents that commonly need an apostille

• Civil status certificates: birth, marriage, partnership, death
• Criminal record and debt enforcement register extracts
• Notarial deeds, certified copies and powers of attorney
• Diplomas and certificates of Swiss schools and universities
• Commercial register extracts and company documents
• Certified translations that will be used abroad

Which authority issues the apostille?

It depends on who signed the document. A notarial deed is first certified in the canton where the notary practises; a federal extract is certified by the Federal Chancellery in Bern. Some documents first need an intermediate certification. We handle this sequence for you.

When an apostille is not enough

If the destination country has not joined the Hague Apostille Convention, the document must instead be legalised by the Swiss authorities and then by that country's embassy or consulate. See our legalisation service.